1.6 - Developments in Europe 

Overview of Feudalism

• Feudalism: A system in medieval Europe where land was exchanged for loyalty and service.

• Need for Protection: With no strong central government, people needed protection from bandits and invaders, like the Vikings.

Core of Feudalism

1. Monarchs and Lords

   • Monarch (king) grants land (fiefs) to lords.

   • Lords become vassals, serving the king with loyalty and military support.

2. Lords and Knights

   • Lords provide land to knights.

   • Knights become vassals to lords and pledge military service.

3. Lords and Peasants

   • Lords offer land and protection to peasants.

   • Peasants work the land, give crops and livestock, and follow the lord's rules.

• Wealth Measurement: Wealth was in land, not cash, due to the agricultural basis of the economy.

Manorial System

• Manors: Large estates that were self-sufficient and included villages, churches, blacksmiths, mills, and peasants' homes.

• Serfs: Peasants bound to the land who could not leave or marry without the lord's permission. They paid tribute in crops, labor, or occasionally money.

• Agricultural Advances: The three-field system rotated crops to improve soil fertility and efficiency:

• Technological Developments: Introduction of windmills and new plow types boosted agriculture and population growth.

Political Changes in the Later Middle Ages

• Strengthening Monarchies: Kings centralized power, developing bureaucracies and militaries, reducing the power of feudal lords.

• England: King Philip II (1180-1223) started building a bureaucracy. By Philip IV (1285-1314), the Estates-General was formed but had limited power.

• Holy Roman Empire: Otto I crowned Emperor in 962. The Concordat of Worms (1122) resolved the lay investiture conflict, but the Empire eventually declined.

• Norman England: William the Conqueror (1066) brought a strong feudal system. The Magna Carta (1215) limited royal power, and the first English Parliament was formed in 1265.

Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453)

• Conflict: Series of battles between England and France. The English used longbows for early victories but eventually lost most territories except Calais.

• Impact: Enhanced national identities and introduced gunpowder weapons.

Christian Crusades (1095-1200s)

• Purpose: To reclaim the Holy Land from Muslims. Also driven by social and economic factors.

• First Crusade: Successfully captured Jerusalem in 1099 but lost it to Saladin in 1187.

• Fourth Crusade: Never reached the Holy Land; resulted in the sack of Constantinople (1204).

Economic and Social Changes

• Trade Expansion: Increased interest in goods and trade routes.

• Marco Polo: His travels to Asia (late 13th century) sparked curiosity about Asia and stimulated mapmaking.

• Urban Growth: Population growth led to larger cities. The Black Death (1347-1351) reduced the population but gave serfs more bargaining power. The Little Ice Age (starting around 1300) caused economic difficulties and social unrest.

Jews and Muslims in Europe

• Jews: Faced discrimination and expulsions but contributed to the economy as moneylenders. Many moved to Eastern Europe.

• Muslims: Expelled from Spain in 1492. The Ottoman Empire expanded into the Balkans, increasing the Muslim population there.

Gender Roles

• Women: Rights declined with urbanization. Women had more opportunities in religious orders and some urban roles but generally had fewer rights than men.

Renaissance (14th-17th Century)

• Revival of Classics: Renewed interest in Greek and Roman culture.

• Printing Press: Johannes Gutenberg’s invention (1450s) revolutionized print technology, increasing literacy and idea spread.

• Humanism: Focused on individual potential and secular literature.

• Southern Renaissance: Supported by church patrons like the Medicis. Example: Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy.

• Northern Renaissance: Spread to northern Europe, with figures like Geoffrey Chaucer, who used vernacular language.

Origins of Russia

• Early Trade: Kievan Rus, a trading center in Eastern Europe, adopted Orthodox Christianity.

• Mongol Rule: The region was under Mongol control until the late 15th century when Ivan the Great led the push for independence, marking the start of modern Russia.